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JOHN B, GEMMILL, or STRAWBRIDGE, PENNSYLVANIA;

Lam-s Patent No. 66,959, dated July 23, 1867. v

IMPROVEMENT IN OORN-PLANTER AND GUANO-SOWER.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. GEMMILL, of Strawbridge, in the county of York, and State of Pennsylvania, havcinvented a new and useful Corn-Planter and Fertilizer-Sower; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made Dart of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan, partly in section, of a machine illustrating my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line a: x, fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detached sectional view hereinafter referred to.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of my invention is to combine in one machine a corn-dropping mechanism and a mechanism for depositing a phosphate or other fertilizing material, together with a novel and simple arrangement of devices for operating the slides which regulate the flow of the material from the hoppers.

In order that others skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe it in detail.

In the accompanying drawings, A may represent the wheels, and B a frame, upon which is mounted the hopper or box C. The hopper C is divided by the vertical partition D into two compartments, 0 C". The compartment C is for the reception of guano or-a fertilizing phosphate, and contains in its lower'part a reciprocating slide, E, which works between the two horizontal slotted partitions F G, and which is formed with discharge apertures e a, each of the latter being adapted for adjustment as to size by means of a small block or piece set into the slide, and held in any position by means of a set-screw. As the slide E is reciprocated, theapertures e are alternately brought into communication with the slots in the horizontal partitions F G, and with similar slots in the bottom of the hopper C, through which latter the fertilizing material passes into the tubes H II, thence into'the conducting spouts I I. The slide Eis provided-with upright prongs or stirrers e, which project upward through and play back and forth within the slots of the upper horizontal partition F. The function of the stirrers e is to agitate the fertilizing material, and insure its free passage into the discharge apertures e. The spouts I I are also made to communicate with the compartment C of the hopper 0 through the tubes H! H This compartment C is to contain the corn to be planted, and has located in its lower part the slotted'horizontal' partitions F G, with an intervening perforated slide, E, the appurtenances of each compartment being in this respect similar. JJ represent brushes, held in astationary position over the slots in the partition F by suitable clamps K K, and employed to sweep the superfluous grain away from the pockets or cells 0 as the latter approach the point of delivery, which is immediately beneath each brush J. To the centre of the respective blocks in whichlthe bristles J'ar'e inserted are fixed downwardly projecting spiral springs j, (sec fig. 3,)the lower extremities of which are bent so as to form a sharp curved bow. As often as the pockets c of the corn-dropping slide E come beneath the brushes J J, the elasticity of the springs j forces the lower extremities of the latter down into the pockets 6 and thus the springs are madeto eject the corn at every appropriate interval of discharge. The peculiar curvature which is given to the lower end of the springs j adapts them to move out of the cells e by upward deflection, as the cells are carried from beneath the-brushes. These springs are believed to be essential to the successful operation of the corn-droppingmechanism, as the corn has a constant tendency to clog and thus render the dropping process irregular or arrest it altogether: The slides EEreceive motion from a single vibrating lever, L, each of said slides being provided with apin, (2 which pins project down through the bottom of the hopper and rest betweeuthe prongs of the forked extremities of lever L. To the arm I of the lever L is jointed the connecting-rod M, which is also jointed to the disk or crank-wheel N on the shaft 0. This shaft 0 has its bearings-in a sliding-frame, 1?, which is fitted within the stationary frame P, the latter being mounted upon the main frame 13, in proximity with one of the carrying-wheels A. Upon the shaft 0 is keyed a spur gear-wheel, O, which, by means of the sliding frame P and lever P may be thrown into or out of gear with the gear-wheel Q on the axle Q. A spring-catch or other suitable device may be employed at Rfor the purpose of pressing backward against the lever l? and sliding-frame I in order to retain the wheels 0" Q in gear. S S are the drill-tubes or furrow-openers, which are connected to the main frame by means of the pivoted rods S S, andwhich may be raised out of contact with the ground by the hand-lcver'T, the latter being connected with thedrill-tubes by the cords T T. UUmay represent east-iron rollers, journalled respectively each in the rear end of a frame, U, pivoted to'the transverse be" V, which has its support upon the main frame. These rollers are designed to follow the drill-tubes and compress the earth about the corn, and they may be raised or lowered at will. The scrapers u remove the dirt from the rollers when in operation.

The machine is drawn over the ground by a pair of horses hitched to the tongue B, and two rows of corn are planted at a time, the fertilizing material being deposited into the fI11lO\\"S Wl tl-1 the corn; 7

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The hopper 0, when 'ebnstructed With'the two compartments C 0 and-provided with the reciprocating slides E E, and horizontal partitions F F. G G, for the purpose of depositingcorn and a fertilizing material simultaneously, substantially as described.

2. The springsj, applied substantially as described, and employed for the purpose of ejecting the corn from the cells or discharge apertures of the slide E, as set forth.

3. The combination of the forked lever L, pitma-n M, crank N, shaft 0, sliding-frame P, gear-wheels O Q, and lever P, all arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

To the above specification of my invention I have signed myhand this thirteenth (lay of March, 1867.

JOHN B. GEMMILL.

Witnesses:

CHAS. A. PETTIT, CHAS. D. SMITH. 

